Novato rollover crash injures driver, blocks lane on Highway 101

A car overturned Friday afternoon in Novato, injuring the driver and forcing the closure of a freeway lane about half an hour, police said.

The crash occurred at about 3:25 p.m. on southbound Highway 101 north of Ignacio Boulevard, the California Highway Patrol said. The vehicle, a Scion sedan, landed on its roof and facing the wrong way in the fast lane.

A witness helped pull the driver, Diane Fernandez of Santa Rosa, from the wreckage, said CHP Officer Andrew Barclay. Fernandez, 32, reported pain from the crash but declined transportation to a hospital, and Novato firefighters treated her at the scene.

Witnesses told police that another car traveling next to Fernandez changed lanes, causing her to swerve to avoid a crash, Barclay said. Fernandez lost control of the Scion, which struck the center barrier and flipped.